florida daffodil society news ISSUE NO. 17 August 1997 was really excited about the possibility of Mary Lou Nat Williams Daffodil Garden helping to identify some of the daffodils grown by On Sunday, February 23, the dedication of the Nat Williams Daffodil Garden in Thomasville, Nat Williams. Unfortunately, she did not recognize Georgia was held. Lots of members from them. Oh, well  a great visit anyway. Tallahassee drove up for the ceremony. President Frasier Bingham opened the proceedings with a jonquilla - One of the best for brief listing of Nat’s pioneering contributions to daffodil culture in this area. John Van Beck North Florida, by Frasier Bingham, Ph.D. described Nat’s significant assistance to the Florida N. jonquilla, a small, early, fragrant and Daffodil Society. Frasier then presented the bright yellow daffodil should and could be common garden to the City of Thomasville on behalf of the in North Florida and South Georgia gardens. It Society and the Mayor graciously accepted. divides well and sets seeds easily. In old plantings, it ends up everywhere, with as many blooms in the We were all honored that Ms. Jaydee Ager, lawn as in the beds. If you wish to have seeds it is President of the American Daffodil Society, came always wise to spread a little pollen yourself rather for the ceremony. Jaydee encouraged those than rely totally on pollinators attending to join the national organization. Folks really enjoyed getting to meet her after the Because the plant and flowers are small, I ceremony when punch and bake goodies were suggest using 10 or 12 bulbs within a six inch circle served. and selecting a protected spot at the base of a pine tree or next to a fence. They can be planted along Setting the date for the dedication was a bit a driveway or in any other sunny spot, being quite of a trial. Member Harriet Hawkins had the garden heat tolerant. under constant surveillance. We were certain we knew when the daffodils would bloom, but you The four year old N. jonquilla seedling in know how it goes sometimes. The day before the my garden will probably bloom next year. One of dedication Harriet and Betty Jinright went to John’s the seedlings has flattened foliage rather than the garden picked two large buckets full of daffs, took rounded foliage of this species. No doubt it is an the back to the park and stuck them in water filled “open-pollinated” hybrid between N. jonquilla and test tubes that had been stuck in the ground in the some other daffodil in the garden. I wonder what it middle of the bulb foliage. They looked just great. will look like? (Jonquilla will be available at the bulb Believe it or not, no one noticed the deception until sale.) it was announced after the ceremony!! Surprise Visit Annual Meeting Mary Lou Gripshover, retiring Executive At the annual meeting on May 10, election Director of the American Daffodil Society , paid a of new officers was held. New officers are: surprise visit to John and Linda Van Beck last President - Mary Ann Van Kleunan; First Vice March. Mary Lou toured the garden and looked at President - Dorothy B. (Dot) Roberts; Second Vice the daffodils. She and Linda spent a lot of time President - John Van Beck; Secretary - Audrey discussing flower photography and the possibility of Hayes; Treasurer - Jane Leonard Smith. Jody the Van Becks contributing photos to the ADS Taylor will serve as Publicity Chairman, and Clara Computer Data Bank program on CD Rom. John Jane Smith as Bulb Sale Chairman. ISSUE NO. 9 Page 2 2 May 1996

Mary Adore Minardi, out-going treasurer, reported that we were indeed solvent. Our Mark your calendar! This year’s sale will be accounts are at the SCORE Federal Credit Union, held at the home of Clara Jane Smith. The which gives us service free of charge. We have selection committee for the bulb sale has come up $5.10 in our share account and $2,539.59 in our with 25 great selections. Emphasis will be on early checking account. This will allow us to purchase bloomers and miniatures. bulbs for our bulb sale with FDS funds, so we no We are fortunate to be able to get one longer have to rely on private underwriting support. lovely antique bulb that is available only once every This is certainly good news! six years at a reasonable price, and two wild hybrids which are not available commercially at any MIXED NEWS price, but come from private gardens. A supplier of daffodil bulbs for last year’s Thanks to Jack & Mary Ann Van Kleunan, sale has made good on bulbs which were in poor Jovel Smith, John Van Beck and Michelle Harrell. shape, or which did not bloom. If you received Gigantic Star bulbs that went bad, let us know at TEST GARDEN the next sale and we will replace them at no charge or give you a credit. The test garden at Goodwood is being To our knowledge, none of the Hillstar sold relocated up the hill in the area next to the tennis have bloomed and only 5 to 10% of the Barrett court. In digging the bulbs it looks like there are Browning bloomed. These bulbs may have been two cultivars that have bloomed heavily and have overheated in transit to the distributor and the multiplied exceptionally well. flower bud inside was killed for this year. They The first is an early blooming cyclamineus should bloom well next spring. We will give you called Itzem. It has very reflexed yellow petals and a credit if you request it. Both Hillstar and Barrett a red cup. The flowers are not large, but they are Browning planted in previous years bloomed quite quite striking. Most bulbs in this division are well. subject to basal rot. Hopefully we have found one BAD NEWS that is not. We would like to have some members plant A dreadful pest appeared in North Florida Itzem to test it further. We will make 1 bulb and South Georgia in 1996. It permanently wiped available to each of the first five members who out or severely damaged a number of request it. Call Mary Ann Van Kleunan at 997- plantings. It re-appeared this year and got into 3986. spider lilies and daffodils as well. Our recent extra- warm winters may have contributed to its spread. The other second year, great looking bulb is Brackenhurst. It is an early, good sized, large- The , timais Cram, is cupped flower with yellow petals and an orange hard to find. It is black with an irregular pink blotch cup. on each front wing. The beautiful caterpillar is velvety black with white stripes going around its A third good looking cultivar is Abba. It is a body. It is not hard to spot when it gets a little size white and yellow double with 5 to 8 florets per stem. to it. Usually caterpillars are found on the upper Its parent, Cragford, blooms quite well here. This surface of the leaves, but a few may be on the has been in the test garden only one year, but underside. As they get bigger, they eat the leaf when I dug my own bulbs to move them, they were down to ground level and then down into the bulb really big and healthy. Most of them had shown itself which they eat with gusto! signs of significant increase (more noses) as well. They are easy to get rid of by hand picking. Any control method will always miss a few the first time around, so keep checking. There may be a second hatching, so keep an eye out for the remainder of the season. BULB SALE - October 25